By Tom Philpott: Military Digest Rachelle Arroyave was 27, pregnant and caring for two young daughters at Camp Pendleton, Calif., when notified last April 15 that her husband, Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jimmy Arroyave, had been killed in a truck accident in Iraq. She got more bad news the following day. Six weeks before his […]

By Tony Parra: Freedom Newspapers By Tony Parra Freedom Newspapers tony_parra@link.freedom.com PORTALES — A beer and wine license option for restaurants passed six months ago by Portales voters is having little impact. As of last week, no business owners had applied for the license, which is significantly less expensive than a liquor license but has […]

Bart Bartholomew, seen here pictured with drawings of a P-51 mustang, left, and a P-47, flew combat missions in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War. (CNJ staff photo: Eric Kluth) By Marlena Hartz: CNJ Correspondent Editor’s note: The CNJ is running a monthly series on war veterans in the Clovis area. The […]

Mineola Butler, 90, of Clovis, died Saturday, March 26, 2005, at Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis. Mrs. Butler was born July 25, 1914, in Lockney, Texas, to John and Alice Welch Lile. She married Willie Butler Sept. 16, 1936 in Levelland, Texas, and had lived in Clovis for 58 years. She was a member […]

By John Eisel Coaches and parents of athletes are concerned Play Inc. isn’t following its bylaws, properly monitoring its finances, and suffers from a general lack of organization. Officials said they do what they can for the 3,000 to 4,000 Clovis-area residents Play Inc. serves in its youth and adult sports leagues. Volunteers are the […]

By Dave Wagner: Freedom Newspapers With steroids becoming a bigger problem at the professional sports level, the NCAA is trying to take more preventative measures to head off potential problems. Ed Kabrick, athletic trainer at Eastern New Mexico University, said that as of the 2004-05 school year the NCAA randomly tests athletes for the use […]

All-conference wide receiver Derrick Hunter is one of several returning starters on offense for Eastern New Mexico University. The Hounds begin spring practice Tuesday. (Freedom Newspapers) By Dave Wagner: Freedom Newspapers PORTALES — If the Eastern New Mexico University football program is going to reach the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time, first-year […]

Freedom Newspapers LAWTON, Okla. — Senior right-hander Trevor Davis survived five errors by his infield and pitched Eastern New Mexico University past Cameron 5-4 on Friday in the first game of a Lone Star Conference baseball crossover doubleheader. The host Aggies came back to win the second game 5-3, giving Cameron three wins in the […]

Curry County Manager Dick Smith works at his office Friday in the Curry County Courthouse. (CNJ staff photo: Eric Kluth) Compiled by David Irvin and Ray Sullivan Editor’s note: Dick Smith began as Curry County Manager in January after long time manager Geneva Cooper stepped down. In November, the Commission named Smith — former administrator […]

Deacon Daniel Chavez performs the “Veneration of the Cross” at Mass Friday at San Jose Mission Catholic Church in Texico. Catholics celebrate the ressurection of Jesus Christ on Easter. (CNJ staff photo: Eric Kluth) By Marlena Hartz: CNJ Correspondent Pope John Paul II will be on the hearts and minds of area Catholics today as […]

Animated, humorous and erudite. Those are the words Clovis Republican Rube Render used to describe President George W. Bush’s speaking style at a town hall meeting last week in Albuquerque. “I was very impressed with the President’s speaking ability,” Render said. Rube and his wife Marge traveled to the town hall meeting that brought together […]

The Clovis Police Department is looking for two suspects accused of robbing a pair of Clovis residents at gunpoint about 11 p.m. Thursday night in the south parking lot of the Clovis Apartments. One suspect is described by police as a thinly built Hispanic male with a red bandanna and armed with a pistol. The […]

Today is Easter, the day Christians honor the “author and perfecter” of their faith, Jesus Christ, who “for the joy set before him endured the cross.” For Christians, the cross endured signifies the cost of sin, suffering and death upon humanity and God. Yet, on Easter morning grief turns to joy as Christ rises from […]

Teachers should play role in selection I very much appreciate the editorial in the March 20 edition of the News Journal regarding public input in the selection of Clovis’ new superintendent of schools. After all, taxpayer money will certainly feed, clothe, and house this individual and family. I believe that many more citizens are taking […]

By Don Reid: Guest Columnist I met Martin “Butch” Gibbons about a year ago. He pulled up in his anniversary-edition Corvette and leisurely strolled into my store. I asked if I could be of help; he said he was just looking. Then he turned and said, “You don’t look like you could help anybody.” He […]

Virginia Drager Services: Have been held. Mrs. Virginia Hines Drager, 81, of Farwell, died March 25, 2005, at Muleshoe Area Medical Center. She was born on Dec. 1, 1923, in Crosbyton, Texas, to Bob and Nannie Hines. She moved to Farwell with her family in 1929. She married John P.A. Drager on April 12, 1943. […]

Judy Brandon: CNJ correspondent Christ loved us enough that he gave his life for us. We are valuable to him and he sees value in us that others do not see. Think about this illustration: At first glance, the highway from Fort Sumner to Santa Rosa really looks desolate and bleak. We were traveling that […]

Editor’s note: Amos is a church mouse who types by hurling himself at the keyboard, but he can’t use the capital shift keys and he shuns punctuation marks – except the hyphens and dashes. the easter seed tale boss i don t know if you ve ever had a talk with a mustard seed before […]

By Don McAlavy: Local columnist Clovis and Curry County had a great year in 1949. Here are some of the things that happened: • On April 25, 1949, a groundbreaking took place at 12th and Main for the new St. James Episcopal Church, built in the Spanish adobe style. It’s still the most attractive church […]